Hey Trader,
Roughly 40 years ago, my dad, my brothers, and I went camping in an area called Camp Floyd. It is a fascinating little place that was home to the Camp Floyd Pony Express Station, also known as the Fairfield Station.
Situated in the small town of Fairfield, Utah, just a short distance from the military camp, the station was originally an adobe inn built by settler John Carson. It was no ordinary stop.
Unlike the small, sparse desert shacks typical of the Pony Express route, the Fairfield Station was a comfortable two-story adobe and frame building. It served as a hotel for notable historical figures, including Mark Twain and Sir Richard Burton.
It was an important and notably luxurious waypoint for riders.
What began as an interesting and historic place to camp soon became something far more meaningful.
One of my older brothers, feeling adventurous, decided that he and a friend would spend the night in the cemetery adjacent to the campground. Creepy.
Shortly after sunrise, he came running back to get my dad. He practically dragged him all the way to where they had slept.
With wide eyes, my brother pointed at the headstones. There, all around them, were the graves of Youngs.
He had inadvertently gone to sleep among our own ancestors.
Multiple generations of Youngs had been laid to rest in that little town. Some of the first had arrived from the Channel Island of Guernsey, and many had served in the military, including at Camp Floyd.
That discovery sparked a deeper journey into our family’s genealogy and history. It has stayed with us ever since.
We have returned to that site many times.
I’ve taken my own boys out to that cemetery, though I haven’t offered to let them sleep there. We go to share our history and pass down the stories that make us who we are.
As we prepare for another Memorial Day, visiting cemeteries and honoring those who came before us, I find myself both grateful and proud. Grateful for their service and sacrifice. Proud of the heritage they laid down for us.
Memorial Day may be the unofficial kickoff to summer. It is a time for burgers on the grill, splashing in the water, and gathering with family and friends.
All of that is worth celebrating. In the midst of it, take a quiet moment to remember those who came before us.
Some gave everything so that we could have the lives we live today.
Happy Memorial Day.
Blake Young
Senior Market Strategist, TheoTRADE
